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Friday, 26 October 2018

Who are You, LONDON BLUE? An Introduction to the Idols Inspired by the UK!

Cross-posted from Selective Hearing (Includes a spiffy photo gallery, a lot less commentary and a lack of two extra video links.)

An Introduction To is a series of articles on both Selective Hearing and Okay! Musume Time that aims to introduce readers to various groups and musicians, regardless of their time within the industry. Whether they are indies or major, unknown or even relatively well-known, this series is here to give readers an insight into who is who and what they do. For our first post, let's check out a group inspired by the UK.

Who are you? It's LONDON BLUE!

*(This is the first in a new series for Selective Hearing, but the continuation of what I hope will be a revival for Okay! Musume Time's past Introduction articles).

The Origin Story...

Way back when in 2017, back when I actually blogged, I learned about LONDON BLUE. I don't know how I heard of them or where, but I did, and my interest was piqued. One review of their album, We are LONDON BLUE later, I pretty much forgot about them. Of course I still knew of them, but I didn't follow their releases, themembers or anything else. And then 2018 happened.

Announced as one of the groups that would perform at Hyper Japan Festival 2018, I travelled to London to finally meet the group I had reviewed long ago. There I was able to meet the renewed lineup, watch their live performance and take some cheki's with the four members who had attended the event. It was here that I was able to fully appreciate the group I had almost forgotten, and now I am a changed person.

Now I love LONDON BLUE, and here I am, introducing them to you...

With their humble beginnings starting back in 2013, LONDON BLUE began with this audition notice: “We’re looking for girls who can express the world of “pop&rock”. In September of the same year, LONDON BLUE was formed with its four original members - AKANE, MISAKI, MIDORI and HIKARI - and their sound producer Hidemaro Aoki of Kabuki-Rocks fame, who has since been creating music that incorporates a mixture of genres ranging from UK Rock to Bubblegum Pop and more.

Now with a modest 5 years under their belt, LONDON BLUE proudly claim their love for the UK music and fashion scene in both their sound and style. Yet despite the groups significant lineup change over the past five years, the members still tote a 'cool & cute' style in their music, visuals and fashion choices, all of which they showcase frequently with various lives and release events they perform throughout the year.

From February 2018, LONDON BLUE has seen a significant change not only in its lineup but also its status. With their fifth anniversary the group finally held its first performance in London, England at HYPER JAPAN in July 2018 before returning to Japan to prepare for a September major debut under King Records. Since then members have been busy with performances, radio segments and release events. Furthermore, auditions are underway for new members to join the group.

Now made up of five members - KANA, KAYANO, RINA, KYOKA and RINKA - the towel-waving cool & cute group are doing their best to make themselves known both on and off the stage. With various activities to focus on outside of their performances, these five girls are slowly but surely carving out an image for themselves as idols and talents.

Acting as LONDON BLUE's leader since the beginning of this year, KANA is a 3rd generation member who debuted with the group in 2014 when she was 17 years old. Since her debut just over four years ago, KANA has participated in two single releases - Special My Love (2015) and LONDON CALLING (2018) - as well as the groups first and only album, We are LONDON BLUE (2016). KANA was also featured in the groups short movie, LONDON BLUE no Yuutsu (2017).

KANA recently created the choreography for the groups major debut song, LONDON CALLING, as well as choreographed for some of the groups other songs. She has previously played the drums in one of the groups music videos.Personal Comments:
Honestly speaking, KANA is the last member I recall from the LONDON BLUE I was introduced to last year. Though I wasn't a big fan at that time (I simply followed them because idols) I am honestly happy that KANA is continuing with the group and is acting as its Leader. She's an absolute delight and so energetic, one of the most energy-driven members of the five we have right now. Sure, she isn't the most polished and her voice can get on your nerves, but she is truly an absolute sweetheart.

Oh, and she noticed me during the HYPER JAPAN performance and waved with a big smile on her face, so of course I'll become a puddle for an idol who notices me. I'm so damn easy like that.

KANA is cute (in her own way) and someone to look out for I think. She may not be the diamond in the rough most people go for - trust me, she wasn't my pick for favourite at the start - however she's quite endearing once you see her perform, and she's pretty dedicated to LONDON BLUE.

Prior to joining LONDON BLUE, KAYANO has been active as both an actress and a model since 2013 and is now under ACROSS Entertainment as a voice actress. Despite debuting as a member of LONDON BLUE at the start of the year, KAYANO is the oldest and one of the more seasoned entertainers. So far she has only participated in one single release, LONDON CALLING.

KAYANO's past works include participating in a short film, MENTAI (2015) where she acted as a visual, as well as modelling for the kimono hearts collection. The film debuted at the Fukuoka Independent Film Festival for its 7th Anniversary. She was also a lead visual and dancer for the Fukuoka Independent Film Festival's CM.Personal Comments:

As of July 2018, KAYANO is my favourite member. Visually I find her striking, but after seeing her perform and interacting with her during the meet & greet at Hyper Japan, I came to really like her confidence, presence and even her voice. Don't get me wrong, she isn't the best singer of the group, but she also doesn't shy away from how she actually sounds. There's no cutesy facade or an act to make her voice higher than it is, which is surprising given how KAYANO is auditioning to be a voice actress. So yeah, I like her for how genuine she is as a performer more than anything, and also because she's really nice and helpful.

Her mature look and vibe is pretty appealing to me as well.

KAYANO impressed me before and after Hyper Japan as both a personality and a performer. I think that she's pretty cool, but she's sweet as well, and she tried her best to speak in English and to translate for the other members, even though her own English is pretty limited. She's a rather caring member too, and despite only being a member for around 9 months now, KAYANO feels like she fits right in and is acting as a superb senior to the new members. I'm impressed and, damnit, I love her!

Please love KAYANO too. She's all forms of cool, cute and silly, plus I really like her style. The eye-catching member who is just so damn perfect.

Another seasoned entertainer, RINA joined LONDON BLUE this year alongside KYOKA and RINKA in her idol debut. An active entertainer since 2014, RINA has participated in a variety of mediums that include web-dramas, commercials, magazines and more. As of September, RINA began her hiatus from LONDON BLUE in order to focus on her role in the NTV adaptation of Kyou Kare Ora Wa!!, a live-action remake of the manga of the same name.

So far, RINA has only participated in the LONDON CALLINGsingle. She was not able to attend the Hyper Japan event in England with her fellow members.

Personal Comments:

RINA is the member I know the least about, but I know she's a busy bee for sure. She is also the most visually appealing member of the group thanks to her beautiful appearance and graceful allure. She also has the best hair in the group (in my opinion), but sadly due to her hiatus and her absence at Hyper Japan this year I wasn't able to fully gain a better opinion of her.

I still don't know what her voice sounds like, honestly.

Still, I think that RINA is a really appealing member visually, and I can't fault her for wanting to focus on her current activities as an actress. I just hope that she returns to her activities with LONDON BLUE soon because I would love to see more of this member. I would love to see her model as well, and do more outside of the group to help boost their name. For now however, I will continue to speculate. She's so bloody beautiful, though.

Claiming to be the groups most energetic member, KYOKA's original activity within the entertainment industry began with musicals and modelling from the age of 6 before her debut as an idol in LONDON BLUE. Since joining the group she has taken part in radio broadcasts and showcased her talkative and energetic side as a performer. So far she has only participated in one release with the group, LONDON CALLING.

Past works that KYOKA has participated in include the film Minami kara kita Shounen (2011), the stage musical for Anne of Green Gables as well as the stage play Hoshikuzu Doomsday, and more. Of all the current members, KYOKA has the longest tenure in the industry, having been active since 2004.

Personal Comments:

Much like most of the other members, KYOKA is an idol I really like in LONDON BLUE. She is charming and cute, really energetic but also serious. When I saw her performing I was impressed by the switch KYOKA had, turning from a cute, little idol to a serious singer and dancer. I guess it makes a lot of sense, especially when you consider how long KYOKA has been in the entertainment industry, but it was still pretty impressive upon first speculation. Heck, I'm still impressed now, and it's been months since I watched her perform!

I think one of my favourite things about KYOKA however is her penchant for wearing bold red lipstick. Most of the members wear it actually, but it stands out on KYOKA the most. She's really sweet as well, easily the most excitable and energetic of the members. When I met her for the first time she jumped about a lot, happy to meet fans and talk to everyone. She really does excel at being the most energetic member (lol).

KYOKA is lovely, bubbly and high in energy. I think she's a good match for the rest of the members, delivering the 'cuteness' in this cool & cute group well. She's really talkative, too, a trait that works well for the groups radio show. Personally, I think KYOKA is a great member. She's a professional, but she's adorable too. I'm glad that LONDON BLUE could introduce a member like her.

As the youngest member of LONDON BLUE, RINKA is probably the least seasoned of the five, however she has been a part of the industry as an aspiring actress since 2014 and has a few TV, film and stage roles under her belt. Since debuting with LONDON BLUE RINKA has participated in the groups radio show. So far, she has participated in one single with the group.

RINKA's past acting credits include parts in Survival Family (2017) as well as supporting roles in four of ACIN project's own short films (2015 - 2016). RINKA also has her own LINE stickers that she draws exclusively for SunCafe, which she is an active part of.

Personal Comments:
Another member I don't know much about (despite meeting her and watching her perform), but I think that's because I have this image of RINKA being a 'quiet' member. She's the youngest - and the only member under 20 - so that might be the reason for her quietness, however she really is adorable. When I first saw her, RINKA had low twintails and I thought 'damn, she's cute!'.

Out of all the members, I think that RINKA is the one who took a while to find her footing within the group. Where the other members showcase a lot of confidence and have an image that is striking, RINKA seems to be the one who was uncertain for a little bit, especially in the beginning. It might be because of the three new members, RINKA is the least experienced in the entertainment industry, but with recent events her confidence seems to have grown, and it makes me happy to see that.

What I want to see more of from RINKA is drawing. I think that she should make stickers of the LONDON BLUE members (it would be cute!) for LINE or even for the merchandise booth. More than anything though I would like to see her grow as a member even more. She's talented and adorable, there's no lie there, but I want more from her. Hopefully she continues to grow and showcases her strengths in LONDON BLUE more and more.

Bio:
From Fukuoka to Tokyo, HIKARI travelled to the city as an aspiring actress. She joined LONDON BLUE in September 2013 at the age of 20, but was one of the first to graduate the group in April 2014. She then joined the talent agency Dolce-Star, however quit both the agency and the entertainment industry in February 2015 due to poor health.

TwitterBio:
AKANE began her career as an idol in November 2011, and later went on to be a part of the groups asfi and ALLOVER, the latter of which was a collaboration project including other groups such as Alice Project, Candy Go! Go, Honey Squash and more. In April 2013 Akane graduated from ALLOVER before graduating from asfi in June 2013.

AKANE joined LONDON BLUE as the groups original leader but left the group in July 2014 due to personal reasons. Until 2017, AKANE seemed to be active in radio and solo events.

Bio:
Prior to jining LONDON BLUE, MISAKI aimed to become an actress. However, she has always enjoyed singing since she was a child and had dreamed of becoming a singer since then. She was an original member of LONDON BLUE, as well as the groups longest running leader (3 years).

MISAKI was the last original member to leave the group, and cited her reasons for leaving being that it was not just her LONDON BLUE but everyone's and that she needed to move forward. Prior to her departure, MISAKI had begun a solo career under her birth name, Yuzuki Misaki. It seems that she is currently focusing on her solo projects.

In the past, MISAKI has been active as a backing dancer and stage actress. She also graduated university.

BlogBio:
Prior to her idol debut, KAORU wanted to be a model, and after moving to Tokyo when she was 18 she became a member of LONDON BLUE during her job search. Through the group she was taught how to play the bass.

KAORU graduated 4 years after her debut alongside RIYOU, and has seemingly left the entertainment industry by locking her Twitter account and ceasing her blog posts. It is unknown whether or not KAORU acted as leader for LONDON BLUE during the two months after MISAKI's graduation.

Bio:
MIKOTO currently has the shortest tenure within the group to dat, leaving just under 7 months after her addition to the group. Originally a member of the idol unit P.S. I LOVE YOU since May 2017, MIKOTO was transferred to LONDON BLUE where she began activities with the group, ultimately graduating from her original unit. MIKOTO's graduation from LONDON BLUE was announced after the group revealed they would have their major debut and that they would perform in London, England.

Shortly after graduating from LONDON BLUE, MIKOTO entered the Miss East Sports 2019 competition. As of September 19th, MIKOTO is an active member of the cross-dressing idol group Hanakotoba wo kimi ni. Her stage name for the unit is Kizuki Lyle.

Discography / Releases

Since their debut LONDON BLUE have released three singles (2 indies, one major), one indies album and an indies DVD which included making-of footage and two music videos. LONDON CALLING is the groups second release two include more than one version, but is the first to include different coupling tracks for each type.

Personal Favourite: We are LONDON BLUE.

LONDON CALLING (1st major single, 3rd overall)Release Date: September 5th, 2018Type A (Left):

LONDON CALLING

Destiny

Itoshiki hibi no naka de (Type A ver.)

Type B (Right):

LONDON CALLING

Destiny

GROOVIN' (Type B ver.)

We are LONDON BLUE (1st album)Release Date: August 3rd, 2016Type A (Left)+ Type B (Right):

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

Dakishimetai

MIDNIGHT LOVER

Remember you

Mamotte agetai

bang!bang!bang!

Dreaming now

Angie

Nanatsu no umi to sora

ROCK ME SHOCK ME

Tsuioku no Serenade (Bonus Track)

Special My Love (2nd indies single)Release Date: July 22nd, 2015

Track Listing

Special My Love

Tokeiji kake no Love Summer

Dreaming now

Special My Love (instrumental ver.)

Tokeiji kake no Love Summer (instrumental ver.)

Dreaming now (instrumental ver.)

ROCK ME SHOCK ME (1st indies single)Release Date: June 25th, 2014

Track Listing

ROCK ME SHOCK ME

Angie

Dakishimetai

ROCK ME SHOCK ME (instrumental ver.)

Angie (instrumental ver.)

Dakishimetai (instrumental ver.)

DVD

LONDON BLUE no YuutsuRelease Date: July 7th, 2017

Includes:

Making of

MIDNIGHT LOVER (Music Video)

Tsuioku no Serenade (Music Video)

Music Videos

Despite having only a handful of releases to their name, LONDON BLUE have six music videos for their respective single and album releases, each varying in quality. There is no denying the group does not have the biggest budget, even with a major label attached to the group, however there is some charm to their visuals. If anything, an indies music video showcases the creativity or lengths editors and directors go to to create something fans might enjoy.

Personal Favourite: Tsuioku no Serenade.

Dakishimetai

I actually appreciate music videos like this, mostly because they showcase the beginnings of a group in a way. It's quintessential indies, and whilst it might not be the most polished production out there, it's a lot of fun to watch. Plus it's the only video out there that includes LONDON BLUE's original lineup.

Oh, and one of the band members has some kick-ass fishnets and boots. The bands style is quite possibly the best part about this entire video.

ROCK ME SHOCK ME

Here's another budget MV, and so painfully cheap to a point where they decided to use 'get ready shots' similar to an old-school makeup-tutorial on YouTube. Regardless of that, it's pretty cute, with my favourite shots being the ones where we see the members change outfits in a quick edit throughout their 'performance' of ROCK ME SHOCK ME.

This song is an absolute classic from the OG era of LONDON BLUE, and I think that the video matches the songs style pretty well, too. It's a decent video, one that has some nice edits. If only it got rid of the get ready shots.

Special My Love

This is one of the more adorable videos from LONDON BLUE, showcasing a more sentimental side to their visuals. I like the nature of this video more than anything, the outdoorsy view and the slow, romantic and friendly feel it has. It's your typical idol PV from an indies group - cheap to shoot, easy to create and fairly homey with a touch of nature thrown in for effect. Plus they wouldn't have had to pay out for the location, I'm sure.

I think it's pretty nice, I enjoy the solo shots more than anything where one member faces the camera with another facing away, giving it a nice touch. I also like the change in saturation for some of the scenes where members stroll around. Overall it's a really cute video, but it is very simple and budget friendly.

Tsuioku no Serenade

This is one of my favourite music videos from the group, possibly because of its simplicity. I like simple MV's and - thankfully - this is done pretty well. It showcases the groups skills with their designated instruments too, which only heightens my joy when watching the MV. The camera work is pretty nice too, the way the members look at the camera or look away is pretty appealing, and it feels a lot more personal than the last few music videos. It feels like they really are a band here instead of idols.

I like the costumes as well, the use of the white and their personal clothes as well, creating some form of unity and individuality for both sets of scenes. Of all the PV's, this one is probably the most polished and well edited. It has good direction, a distinct concept we can easily follow, as well as some nice editing. The end is really cute too, so props to whoever edited and directed this PV.

MIDNIGHT LOVER

Whilst the set is the same as the previous music video, I enjoy MIDNIGHT LOVER's PV for its unique quality against the other videos. Sure, it may have a weird style in terms of its editing choices, but I think that the use of two screens is quite charming, plus we get to see both the performance and 'date' sequences all at once. That said, trying to watch both at the same time can be really annoying.

This is a fun video, but it really does have some weird editing choices. It's a good song though, and it brings back that old-as-time concept most idol videos follow; the 'date'. Ah, that will never get old.

LONDON CALLING (short ver.)

The last video on the groups roster (for now), LONDON CALLING is the major debut release for the group, but that means very little here. This one is definitely not as well edited as others, yet despite that it does hold its own sort of charm. From the colours to the framing, this has to be one of the more unique videos. It even makes use of stock footage and clips from London, something which previous videos haven't used. Of all six videos the group has released, this one probably features the members the least. The other PV's have had at least one member in each frame up until now.

This is only the short version, and unless management decide to release the full version any time soon, this is the only version people can watch (unless you buy 30 copies of the CD at an event venue, then you get the DVD that includes the full MV). It's fine for what it is, and it represents the song decently... but yes, I would have liked more. I would have especially liked some dance shots thrown in there with all the members.

Here's to waiting forever for a full version. YAY!

Documentary / Radio Segments / Performances

LONDON BLUE do not have the media outlets that other groups do, however they do make use of things such as Showroom and their own channel. So far the group has included two short documentaries on their channel as well as a digest of their performances since they became a 5-person unit.

LONDON BLUE also hold a monthly live radio broadcast for WALLOP titled There's Something About LONDON BLUE, which began in March of this year. The broadcast runs for 30 minutes with a 30 minute un-recorded live held afterwards. All broadcasts from the group can be found on the WALLOP YouTube channel, and the most recent broadcast has been included in this list.

B-B-B-BONUS ROUND! It's time for some extra performance videos, just cause I think it's worthwhile for others to see how the members perform live and to showcase whether or not you guys think they're worth watching.

... That and I gott pad this post. PAD-PAD-PAD.

Hope y'all enjoyed. I know I did (but that's cause I freakin' love this group)

And there we have it, another profile for another idol group here on Okay! Musume Time! The layout is new for me, but I really like how it looks. Hopefully I will keep these kinds of posts up, purely because I genuinely forgot how fun it is to create these, and also for the sake of getting to know new groups, members, singers and idols. There is so much joy in creating these, plus I can learn more about who I am profiling whilst also letting you guys discover new acts along the way.

As a general overview of the group, I want to point out that I genuinely adore LONDON BLUE. They are a cute towel-raving unit full of life and vibrance, and even though their music may be generic or their videos a tad underwhelming, there is more to them than the image they portray in pictures and MV's. They're cute, cool, entertaining and a lot of fun. That said, if you aren't into generic idol concepts or typical performances or even cutesy music, this won't be the group for you. For someone who likes that kind of thing though - or at least enjoys a well-rounded variety in their music and performances - LONDON BLUE are pretty appealing.

On a final note, I also love that this is one of those groups that doesn't cater to the whole 'young idol' scene. Though there are plenty of groups out there that market younger idols for a youthful, cute appeal, LONDON BLUE's average age is around the early 20's mark, with the youngest being only 17. Personally that's a huge draw for me, however I know other people are different. Still, I love this group and want other people to give them a go. You might be surprised, or you might not; either way, please check out LONDON BLUE and let me know your thoughts!